This invention relates to a solid-pictorial video signal generating apparatus wherein three television cameras placed close to each other are used, a picture obtained from the central video camera is used as a main picture and the remaining pictures obtained from the other cameras are respectively pictures used for generation of a solid picture, whereby solid-pictorial video signals can be generated in a simple configuration. This invention also relates to a solid-pictorial video signal transmitting apparatus and a solid-pictorial video signal receiving apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving the solid-pictorial video signals, and a solid-pictorial video signal transmission switching apparatus.
The projection of a solid picture onto the screen is normally implemented by processing images or pictures obtained from a plurality of video cameras (television cameras). As shown in FIG. 15 by way of example, the same object 12 is simultaneously imaged or photographed by two video cameras 14 and 16 installed within a studio while their camera angles are being changed. Two image or picture signals obtained by their imaging are supplied to a solid-pictorial video signal generating part 20 wherein they are subjected to suitable signal processing, thereby obtaining a solid picture. In this case, cameras identical in standards to each other are used as the two video cameras 14 and 16 to be used.
On the other hand, when the same object 12 is simultaneously imaged by the two video cameras 14 and 16 to generate the solid picture in this way, it is necessary to prepare two video cameras 14 and 16 identical in performance and characteristic to each other. Thus, when one attempts to vary the amount of zoom by the cameras each provided with a zoom function, it is necessary to control zooming of the two video cameras 14 and 16 in interlock with each other and control both to the same amount of zoom. In other words, controlled amounts of the two must completely be matched with each other.
If not done so, then the amounts of solid information about video signals obtained from the respective video cameras lack uniformity and an accurate solid picture cannot be generated. Of course, the approximately complete identity is required for all the functions mounted to the video cameras, including color characteristics of both the video cameras 14 and 16.
Thus, when one identical to an ordinary studio camera (in-station camera) is used as a video camera for a solid picture, adjustments to coincidences of camera various characteristics of the two become very cumbersome in terms of the coincidences of their characteristics. Their maintenance is very difficult. Further, when two video cameras are used, the relationship in which one is used as a master and the other is used as a slave, is not established. Thus, a video signal obtained from the other video camera cannot be used as an auxiliary video signal. Therefore, the entire apparatus inevitably increases in cost because a simplified camera with no zoom function or the like cannot be substituted for the other video camera.
Further, when the solid picture is stopped so as to be switched to an ordinary image or picture (plane picture), one hesitates as to which television camera should take priority over the other. This is because one and the other cannot be recognized as a main picture and a slave picture respectively since camera angles are divided into the left and right with respect to an object.
Even when it is desired to create a solid picture having special effects such as screen switching, wipe (sweep), etc., its operation is problematic when the same object is imaged from such uniform angles.
Therefore, the present invention solves such conventional problems and proposes a solid-pictorial video signal generating apparatus and the like, which provide low costs and easy solid form and provide the relationship of master and slave.
A solid-pictorial video signal generating apparatus according to the present invention is constructed such that left and right video cameras are placed on both sides of a front video camera, and solid-pictorial video signal used upon signal transmission is generated by using video signals outputted from the left and right video cameras with respect to a video signal outputted from the front video camera.
A solid-pictorial video signal transmitting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a front video camera, a pair of left and right video cameras placed with the front video camera interposed therebetween, a first encoder unit for processing a front video signal outputted from the front video camera, second and third encoder units for respectively effecting a compressing process on left and right video signals outputted from the pair of left and right video cameras while referring to the front video signal thereby to generate solid-pictorial video signals, a transport stream converter for converting the outputs of the respective encoder units to transport stream signals, a multiplexing unit for multiplexing the transport stream signals, and a signal transmitting unit for transmitting a multiplexed solid-pictorial video signal.
A solid-pictorial video signal receiving apparatus according to the present invention, for receiving a solid-pictorial video signal comprised of a front video signal and first and second solid-pictorial video signals each having a difference between each of left and right video signals and the front video signal, is constructed such that a left-pictorial video signal is generated from the front video signal and the first solid-pictorial video signal, a right-pictorial video signal is generated from the front video signal and the second solid-pictorial video signal, and the left-pictorial video signal and the right-pictorial video signal are supplied to a monitor simultaneously thereby to project a solid picture.
A video signal transmission switching apparatus according to the present invention is constructed such that it is supplied with at least first and second solid-pictorial video signals, and the first and second solid-pictorial video signals are supplied to a special effect generating circuit from which a video signal for a special effect is generated.
In the present invention, a solid picture using three video cameras is generated. In this case, the central video camera is used as a video camera for imaging or photographing the front of an object, and a main image or picture is generated from a video signal obtained therefrom. Therefore, a television camera or the like provided with various functions, which is normally used within a station, for example, is used as this video camera.
The left and right video cameras are placed on both sides of the front video camera in close proximity thereto. Simplified video cameras are used as the left and right video cameras. Further, cameras with no zoom function are utilized as the left and right video cameras. Video signals obtained from the left and right video cameras are used as signals for forming a solid image or picture. In the present example, only solid information with respect to the main picture is transmitted as a video signal to reduce the amount of transmission. Since a motion-compensated DCT encode process using the front video signal as a reference picture is performed to extract only the video signal having the solid information from the left and right video signals.
The left and right video signals having the solid information with respect to the main picture are combined with the front video signal thereby to result in a solid-pictorial video signal. The combined video signal is used upon both projections of the plane picture and the solid picture. The combined video signal is transmitted as a transport stream signal (digital data).
A received solid-pictorial video signal is separated into the front video signal and the left and right video signals and then restored to the original signal form. The left video signal reproduced from the front video signal is used as a left-pictorial video signal, whereas the right video signal reproduced from the front video signal is used as a right-pictorial video signal. These left-pictorial video signal and right-pictorial video signal are supplied to a solid monitor (e.g., goggle-type monitor means or the like) on which a solid picture is projected.
The video signal transmitting apparatus is equipped with a transmission switching unit for providing special effects and implements a special effect process between solid pictures. Since, in this case, respective information about at least left and right video signals are compressed using a compression coding process such as MPEG or the like, the respective compressed information are combined into one as they are or selected upon execution of two-screen synthesis or the like.